DIT Kevin Bell Invests In Leader Electronics

Leader Electronics reports sustained strong demand for its range of broadcast test instruments including the recent choice of an LV5350 waveform monitor by Kevin Bell. One of Britain's busiest digital imaging technicians, he has worked on many studio and location shoots for major production companies and broadcasters.

"The Leader LV5350 is an essential tool for DITs working in film and television," Kevin Bell said. "It's packed with reference tools such as waveform, vectorscope, histogram and gamma displays, plus gamut and level error display.

"With the built-in CINELITE and CINEZONE, I can monitor f-stop values relative to a set reference point or convert picture luminance levels to an RGB or gradation display. There's also the option to add extra software modules as or when needed. The HDR module is certainly a high priority but out of the box I had included Focus Assist which helps make camera lens adjustment simpler to identify, and Customised Layout which allows for custom multi-screen layouts. When using the rasterizing output, I can view on a second screen to compare multiple signal parameters simultaneously. I can also copy measurements to removable USB memory for reference and share with other technicians on-set, which is a very powerful resource.

"Like all other on-set monitors, it can be used without mains power which is essential out of the studio and on location. Sometimes it's just not possible to move a DIT cart to a particular shooting location due to accessibility. The Leader LV5350 is compact, portable and fast to set up and operate. It gives me the confidence that I always have the right tool, no matter where we're filming."

Leader Europe managing director, Koichi Fukagawa, added: "The LV5350 waveform monitor incorporates all the SDI facilities of the top-of-the-range LV5600 minus the IP measurement capabilities which are more relevant to the OB sector than to DITs. Its engineering-related capabilities are second to none, including test pattern generation, closed-caption monitoring, CIE color chart, dynamic range measurement, focus assist, customizable screen layout, tally interface, 4K/UHD operation and 12G-SDI interfaces."

"CINEZONE and CINELITE are a standard feature of the LV5350 and all models in the ZEN series," details Leader Europe's regional development manager, Kevin Salvidge. "These are familiar to many camera crews, editors and colorists here in Europe and around the world. The focus detection option sense edges across a very wide range of image contrast levels. The LV5350 allows operators to configure the devices for multiple different modes of operation at the same time via its front-panel multiscreen video display or rasterizing output. We also produce an equivalent LV7300 half-rack-width 1U rasterizer which offers the same capabilities as the LV5350 waveform monitor apart from the eye pattern display which is an option." 

"Leader test instruments have long been the preferred choice of many broadcasters, film and television content producers, DITs, colourists and post production companies," summarises Chris Margrave-Gregory, senior broadcast sales specialist at Thameside.tv. "They combine accurate and repeatable measurement with robust construction which contributes to a long working life."